


Layne the Lion

by Lynnk



Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: Clexa, F/F, F/M, Lions, New kru, The 100 - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-04-07
Updated: 2015-05-05
Packaged: 2018-03-21 17:08:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,214
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3700358
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lynnk/pseuds/Lynnk
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Meet the leader of the lion kru and her clan.<br/>The lion kru is headed to Polis and Clarke is getting picked up along the way.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Katakru

“The mountain has fallen.”  
Layne looks to the messenger before her. He meets her eyes without faltering. He is young, but he is strong. His falcon sits on his gloved hand. He holds a note in the other. She reaches her hand out to the boy and he hands her the small piece of paper. She unfolds it.  
The mountain has fallen.

Layne looks to her second. “Talya, alert the others to start packing up camp. We will head to Polis at Dawn. It is time for celebration.” Layne smiles. The mountain men were an enemy to all grounders and the news of their defeat will spread quickly. “Pan.” She looks to the boy with the falcon. “Send a message to the Commander, let her know we will celebrate this victory with her.” The boy nods and turns to exit. “and Pan.” The boy turns back to her. “Make sure to pack your things.”  
“Yes Katakwin,” he replies. Layne sees the boy’s face erupt into a smile as he exits swiftly. This will be his first visit to the grounder capital.

Layne looks out on her village. She wears a tattered, green cloak, hooded with the mane of a lion. Even with her small stature there is something quite powerful about the way she stands. She is proud and unafraid. They are a small tribe but the commander was wise not to overlook them when she united the clans. The lions will be back from their hunt soon and the village center will be alive with both people and lions. Presently the tribe consists of about 150 men and women, and 35 lions. They have held steady numbers over the last five years and Layne is quite pleased. The village is active as usual. A small girl chases a lion cub. She catches up to him and tries to grab him but he squirms and manages to escape. The girl sighs animatedly and continues running. The cub attempts to race past Layne’s feet but she reaches down and picks up the cub. He growls and swats at her playfully. She runs her hand over his head and he pushes into the touch. The child catches up and crosses her arms and scowls. Layne looks down at her.  
The child looks up at Layne, her exasperation clearly visible. “Katakwin, he won’t eat it!” she whines. Layne chuckles softly. The child has a handful of torn up leaves.  
“The leaves are bitter, goufa, where’s your meat?”  
The child pulls a chunk of raw flesh from her pocket. “I had another another piece but he just ate it and spit the leaves out.”  
Layne sits and puts the cub in her lap. “Hand me your meat.” she says. Layne takes the meat and pulls out a knife. She cuts into the side of the it. “Put the leaves in here.” She pulls on the meat and the child stuffs the torn up leaves into the pocket she has created. Layne holds the chunk of flesh above the cub. He paws at it so Layne lowers it and the cub greedily snaps it up. The child glares at the cub like she’s been betrayed. Layne laughs at this. She ruffles the child’s hair and hands the lion cub to her. 

“Thank you Katakwin” The child says. The cub is awkward in her arms but she manages hold him tightly as she turns and heads towards some other children. Her tribe has many medicines and this particular leaf is found high in the trees. Most lions that have survived are small with a short life expectancy but the Katakru cubs grow to be big and healthy. It’s a tradition in their tribe for the children to climb trees and collect the leaves and make sure the cubs eat them. It certainly keeps them busy.  
Layne spots a couple of the lions coming through trees. They are relaxed which means the hunt has gone well. Six of the female lions collect in the centre of the village, one drags the leftovers of a fresh kill. The rest of the group will have already eaten and will be lounging around the edge of the village. This carcass is for the cubs to share. Kara carries the little cub she was chasing earlier over to the lionesses and plops him in front of his dinner. She throws her arms around one of the lions and buries her face in fur. “Ripaaaaa!” You can hear her squeal delightedly even with her face immersed in lion. Ripa growls affectionately and Kara scratches her neck.  
Talya greets the lionesses and calls out to the village. “Tomorrow the Katakwin departs for Polis. The mountain has fallen and she will celebrate with the commander.” The village breaks out into excited chatter and shouts of triumph. Talya approaches the commander. “We have three warriors and one falconer. Do you require any additional company?” She asks.  
“We will bring Ripa and two of her daughters, as well as one of the young males.”  
A look of surprise flashes across Talya’s face. Bringing Lions to Polis is not something they’ve done before. She recomposes herself. “That puts our travelling number at ten.” She says.  
“Thank you Talya, that should suffice.” Talya nods and returns to her work. Layne watches the activity in front of her. A large fire has been built. The people have begun eating and drinking and many of the lions have come in closer to the bustle. The children run rampant; cubs nipping at their heels. She barely notices when Ripa comes to sit at her side. Layne’s hand automatically reaches down to stroke her ear. Ripa’s fur is softest here. The touch soothes them both. Together they watch the action before them. Layne smiles softly. This is her family. This is her pride.


	2. Sup Clarke?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Intro to Clarke. Also. LIONS.

The village is quiet when Layne wakes. She dresses and exits her tent. The sun is not yet visible but there is enough light to see. Talya is already awake and saddling her horse. She finishes and begins to saddle the others. She works quickly, clearly she is eager to leave. Layne begins to tie their packs onto the saddles. She and Talya work side by side in silence until the others join. Two men and one woman appear. They are friends though not close ones. All three carry a bow and arrows. The mountain may have fallen but they are told the skaikru still carry guns. A bow will be their best defense against skaikru at a long distance; quiet and easy to use while on horseback.   
“Where is the falconer?” One of the men asks. “We haven’t the time to wait around for him.”  
Talya smiles.  
“I’m right here.” Pan steps out from behind one of the horses. It is not the first time his presence has gone unnoticed by the warriors. He mounts his horse with impressive agility given the animal’s size. Talya follows suit. Her horse gives a quiet whinny as the lions approach. Soon enough all are mounted and the group his headed into the forest. The lions follow lazily behind.

 

Clarke has been alone for 8 days. She walked for three days picking up supplies on her way, and then she stopped. She set up a tent near a small stream and this is where she’s stayed. Hunting is still challenging for her and she spends most of her day looking for her next meal. Her gun is her most useful weapon but she tries other tactics as well. Her most successful so far is trapping. She picks up her trap and walks away from her camp to set it up. It is a simple tool, merely a box-shaped container made of twigs and tied with braided grasses. She picks a spot, sets her box on the ground and props it up with a stick. She puts a small piece of meat from yesterday’s squirrel under the box. She ties one end of a rope with a stick and holds the other. She finds a spot to sit where she is mostly concealed. She pulls a blanket out of her backpack and she sits. She waits. She is used to waiting. She watches two squirrels chase each other through the trees and she closes her eyes to listen. She can hear them jumping from branch to branch, occasionally chattering to each other. She can just barely hear the stream in the distance. She hears a flutter of wings and opens her eyes. A bird has landed and is eyeing the meat. She keeps still until the moment the bird hops under the box to reach the piece of flesh. She pulls the rope and the trap falls. The bird beats its wings against the cage frantically. Clarke picks up her blanket and rushes to the trap. She throws the blanket over it and begins the task of getting the bird out of the trap and under the blanket. She manages to pin the bird under the blanket using her arms as well as the rest of her body. The action is significantly more calculated than it was a few days ago. She slowly eliminates the bird’s space until it is fully restricted. She quickly scoops up the bird in her hands. He is covered by the blanket and cannot see or move. Carefully she shifts her grip so one hand is firmly holding the bird’s body and the other firmly holds its head. In one swift and steady movement she pulls and twists her hands in opposite directions. The bird is dead and she resets the trap and waits for another. After she catches two more birds she collects her things and heads back to camp. She appreciates the simplicity of her tasks.   
Clarke is halfway back to camp when she hears a growl behind her and stops suddenly. Her hair stands on end as she turns and sees a large animal standing a little over ten yards from her. It is cat-like and huge. It’s a tiger. No, no stripes. A lion? Clarke is immediately filled with fear and awe. The cat looks at her intensely but makes no advances. It is a vision of power, its teeth showing and threatening. Two more cats emerge from the forest, slightly smaller than the first. Clarke races through thoughts. She has her gun, but could she shoot them before they got to her? She can’t outrun them. Could she distract them with the birds she caught? She slowly starts to back away and the lions match her step for step. Clarke hears a fourth figure coming from the trees.   
“Set Raun” The lions stop immediately and stand in place. Clarke takes another step back and the lions do not move. She allows her gaze to shift from the lions to the voice that commanded them.

She is surprised at the person who now walks towards her, passing by the lions unflinchingly. She is a girl with a slight frame, maybe ten or eleven years old. Her hair is long and messily dreaded with beads and small decorations nestled throughout. She wears layers of loose, thin clothing. She is young and small and although she does not carry herself with an extreme air of authority, her relaxed confidence implies it. She stops a few feet in front of Clarke. The girl looks her up and down, and stops when she sees Clarke’s gun.  
“Skaikru?” The girl asks, though she already knows the answer  
Clarke nods, unsure of how to proceed.  
“Talya kom katakru.” This is what the girl says and nothing more. Clarke’s whole body is tense. Talya is the first person she’s seen in over a week and she has no great wish for conversation, but the beasts standing behind this girl are magnificent and she needs to know more.  
“Lions?” Is all Clarke manages to say.   
Talya nods. This skaikru person is unusual in her unabashed curiosity. She wears her feelings on her face, a trait she rarely sees in grounders outside of her village. “My family is made up of both Lions and men. They are friends of my friends and enemies of my enemies.” Talya turns, “Komba raun.” She says gently. Ripa, the largest of the lions comes and sits by her side. The other two sit closely behind her. 

Clarke is mesmerized. She has never seen an animal so beautiful before. She studies its golden fur, its massive paws its terrifyingly powerful mouth. She can almost feel its breath. Its eyes are deeply intelligent. The energy between the lion and girl is gentle; protective but not dominating.   
Talya is almost equally entranced by Clarke. Never before has she seen such qualities in one as old as she. This light-haired girl has dropped all her defenses. Her wonder is unmistakable and the smile in her eyes is captivating. The lions usually only take kindly to children and Talya can think of no other descriptor for this girl. In this moment she is more child-like than most girls Talya’s age. Ripa takes a step forward. The tension Clarke saw in her earlier is gone. Clarke puts out a hand to touch her but stops and looks to Talya. Talya smiles and nods and Clarke slowy reaches out to Ripa, as if she might disappear at any moment.   
“What’s your name?” Talya asks.  
“Clarke.” She replies quietly, not taking her eyes off the lion.  
Clarke. Talya repeats the word in her head. She has heard the name before. After the mountain fell her name had spread through the forests like wildfire. Clarke kom skaikru, the fair-haired girl. How could this child before her be the leader of the sky people? How could this be the one that aided the Commander to free those in the mountain, the one who led the people who destroyed them? She watches as Ripa growls warmly to Clarke, standing closer to gain more contact. Ripa takes to Clarke immediately and Talya understands why. There is a sincerity to Clarke that Talya is unmistakably drawn to.  
“She likes you.” Talya tells her.   
Clarke manages to pull her attention from the lion. “Why are you here?” She asks. As soon as Clarke says it she wishes she had something more polite, but Talya smiles at her poor choice of words.  
“I travel with members of my village. Would you like to meet them?”  
Clarke looks at the girl. She hadn’t expected to be within the company of others so soon, but she also hadn’t expected this. She feels a twinge of guilt at the excitement she is now feeling. Does she want to meet the rest of this girl’s travel companions? The answer is undeniably:  
“Yes.”


	3. Welcome

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Clarke meets the rest of the katakru

It is almost dusk when the group nears the camp. The brush is thick and they travel single file. The younger lions lead the way carrying the remnants of a deer between them. Clarke walks behind Talya; they have not spoken since they started travelling. Clarke notices Talya looking up and spots a bird through the trees. She raises a hand to keep Clarke from moving forward. Ripa and the other lions continue towards the camp. Clarke waits and watches as Talya slows her pace and lightens her step. She turns to Clarke and presses a finger to her lips to quiet her. She continues a ways and turns back to Clarke to wave her forward. Clarke is about to take a step but sees a figure spring from the bushes. Talya has been knocked to the ground before Clarke can open her mouth to warn her. Instinctively Clarke reaches for her gun but stops as the sound of laughter fills the air. It’s a boy, maybe even younger than Talya. He sits on top of her proudly;  
“Pinned you again.” He says.  
Talya grabs the boy, laughing, and flings him to the ground.  
He hops up and brushes himself off, pushing his shaggy, dark hair out of his eyes. He turns to Clarke;  
“Hi I’m Pan.”  
Talya interjects; “We’ll do introductions at camp.” Clarke nods in agreement and the three make their way through the last bit of brush. Clarke can see a fire through the trees and a few people moving about. There are horses tied on a line and a woman checking a bay mare’s feet. A man and woman are tying tarps between the trees, while another man skins a rabbit. The man looks at Clarke with gentle eyes and nods in acknowledgment as Talya leads her to the fire. The lions lie near the horses. There is a fourth one here. He is only slightly smaller than Ripa but he posseses a full mane. Ripa gets up to go to Clarke’s side. Perhaps the lion should scare her, but instead it makes her feel safe. The woman by the horse turns to greet them.  
“I see we have a guest.” Layne puts down the mare’s foot and walks over to the fire. She extends a hand to Clarke. “Layne kom katakru.” She says.  
“Clarke-- of the sky people.”  
Clarke is at a loss for anything else to say. She has spent every day since she got to the ground trying not to die; she has calculated the threat of every person she’s met; but she can’t find it in herself to put up a guard with these people. She’s too tired. She doesn’t want to plan anymore, doesn’t want to be scared. The boy, Pan, is looking at her strangely. His face shows a mix of interest and disbelief. He turns to Talya with a questioning look and she nods. “They know.” She thinks to herself. “They know who I am, and what I’ve done.”  
“Are you hungry?” Layne asks. Clarke hasn’t eaten since breakfast. They hadn’t stopped to cook the birds she’d killed before Talya showed up. She nods. “This is Maun, one of my warriors,” Layne says pointing to the man skinning the rabbit, “and over there are Florin and Rayner.” They all take a moment to acknowledge Clarke and she affords them the same courtesy. This is the first time that Clarke has been introduced to an entire grounder group. Layne is clearly the leader of the group but she introduces the others as though they hold equal importance.  
“Are there more of you?” Clarke asks.  
“Back at our village, yes, but not here;” She gestures to the area around her. “Surprised by our lack of hostility?”  
“A little.” Clarke replies.  
“We don’t make a habit of showing off our strength—besides, I would never question Ripa’s judge of character. Please, stay the night with us.”  
Clarke really has nowhere else to be so she agrees and offers the birds from her pack. She can go wherever she likes in the morning. She watches as Florin and Rayner finish tying the tarps. She can’t tell exactly what they’re made of, likely some repurposed material, as most things the grounders use are. Maun puts the rabbit over the fire while Talya and Pan pull some other food from the packs. Clarke begins plucking the birds and Layne helps. They work together and when the work is done and the food is cooked, they eat together. There is no discussion of wars, no battle plans, and no pressing concerns, for this Clarke is very thankful. When they finish eating, Talya and Pan play some sort of game near the lions and Layne and two warriors lay animal furs under the tarps. Clarke and Maun are left sitting alone by the fire.  
Clarke speaks to Maun without turning to look at him. “You know who I am.” she says.  
“Yes.” He almost sounds sad. “Word of you and your people and your fight with the mountain men has travelled fast.”  
Clarke lets out a sigh.  
“Do you know how our leaders are chosen?” Maun pauses only briefly, and then continues. “In most clans the best fighters and strongest warriors become leaders. The most successful are the most ruthless and most feared. In our clan, the lions choose our leader; and they are almost never the best fighter. Do you see Talya and Pan playing by the lions? Talya is Layne’s second. In battle, Pan would be lucky if he could get a lion to get off his foot, but the lions would exhaust themselves to meet Talya’s every demand, not because Talya has any great strength, merely because the lions chose her. “  
“But why did they choose Talya and not Pan?” Clarke asks.  
“I couldn’t tell you exactly, she’s just different. In the same way that Layne is different. She has a softness to her, she loves others more than herself. They choose a leader that is naturally humble and become their pride. As she matures she will grow into a leader capable of making impossible choices, but it will always hurt her.”  
“Why are you telling me this?”  
“Have your choices not hurt you?” Maun doesn’t wait for an answer. He leaves Clarke by the fire.  
As the night goes on, Pan, Talya and the warriors make a bed and go to sleep. Layne lies by the fire leaning against Ripa’s belly. 

Clarke awakens with a fur draped on top of her and something warm pressed against her. She hears heavy breathing and nearly screams before she remembers where she is. The heavy breathing is coming from a lion, one of the younger ones. Kynda, this one is called, and she’s curled slightly around Clarke. Clarke has never been so close to an animal before. She’s ridden horses since she got to the ground but this is different. This animal is entirely relaxed and lying beside Clarke because she wants to. She runs her hand through the animal’s fur and listens to Kynda breathe as she waits for the sun to rise.  
A while later Pan comes to sit by her side. He hands her a couple pieces of dried meat. “I noticed you’ve been up for a while, thought you might be hungry.”  
“Thanks.” Clarke takes the offering.  
“Are you going to come to Polis with us?”  
“How did you hear about the fall of the mountain?” She asks instead of answering.  
“Messages from Tenor and the others.”  
“Tenor?” Clarke has not yet heard this name.  
“My falcon. He delivers messages between villages.”  
Clarke remembers the bird she saw before Pan first popped out of the woods. “What did the messages say?” She asks. “According to your messages, how were the mountain men defeated?”  
“Well,” Pan starts. “The story came in pieces. We know that you’re the leader of the Sky people and you discovered how to turn reapers back into men. And that you escaped from the mountain. The commander joined with you and brought an army to mount weather’s door and they surrendered our people to the commander and she left yours with them. “  
“So you know the commander traded my people for hers?”  
“Yes.”  
“And what did you hear of me?”  
Pan gets quiet. “You stayed.” He says. “You stayed and killed all of the mountain men. “ Pan looks her up and down. “Is it true?” he asks.  
“Yes.” Clarke says. “It’s true. All of it is true.”  
Pan looks at her and frowns.  
“Pan, leave her be.” It’s Layne. “There’s work to be done.”  
“Yes, katakwin.” He says quickly and leaves.  
“Would you like to take a walk with me?” Layne says to Clarke.  
Clarke nods and gets up.

Layne and Clarke walk side by side through the forest. Light streams through the trees but the day is still new and the air is cold. Layne tells Clarke stories of the katakru and watches the way she listens. She sees Clarke’s face light up when she talks of the lions so she tells her all about them. She asks a few questions about the skaikru and Clarke’s time on the earth but she does not press for answers. Clarke tells her a few things and she fills in the rest. Keeping her people safe has been a difficult task. Layne sees it in her face and in the way she carries herself.  
“Will you come to Polis with us and celebrate?” Layne asks when they are within sight of their camp again.  
“Celebrate what, that I killed people? That I killed children? I don’t regret what I did, but I can’t stand the idea of celebrating it.”  
Layne replies calmly; “Lions don’t mourn their kills, they don’t reflect on the futures they destroy, they kill and they do it swiftly, and then they continue to live. None of us are immortal, Clarke, right now we are alive, celebrate that.”  
That’s all Layne says to her. She doesn’t tell her love is weakness, doesn’t say what she did was the only choice, or that she did the right thing. She offers no pity and delivers no praise. 

The camp has already been packed up and Layne goes to her horse without looking at Clarke. Pan is holding the reins of a black gelding and looks at Clarke calmly.  
“I’ll come.” Clarke says clearly and firmly.  
Pan breaks into a smile and hands Clarke the reins of his horse. “I was hoping you’d say that. I’ll ride with Talya.”

**Author's Note:**

> Comments are appreciated!


End file.
